Banana Peels Fertilizer*

The scientific name for bananas is Musa sapientum, which translates as “fruit of the wise men.”
And you are wise, indeed, to use banana peels as fertilizer. Banana peels are good for gardens
because they contain 42 percent potassium (abbreviated to its scientific name K), one of the
three major components of fertilizer along with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and shown on
fertilizer labels as NPK. In fact, banana peels have the highest organic sources of potassium.
Potassium aids plants in moving nutrients and water between cells. Potassium strengthens
plants' stems and also fights off disease. It is especially important to creating flowers, and even
makes fruits (and berries!) taste better. Potassium will even make your plants more resistant to
drought. Without enough potassium, plants grow poorly in general. It even increases the protein
content of your plants. In short, potassium helps plants grown for their fruiting and flowering,
including rose bushes and fruit trees, rather than plants grown for their foliage, such as spinach,
lettuce and Swiss chard. (PaulBarbano, 2020)

Banana peels are good fertilizer because of what they do not contain. They contain absolutely no
nitrogen. While plants need nitrogen (remember the NPK on fertilizers), too much nitrogen will
create lots of green leaves but few berries or fruits. This means potassium-rich banana peels are
excellent for plants like tomatoes, peppers or flowers. Banana peels also contain calcium, which
prevents blossom end rot in tomatoes. The manganese in banana peels aids photosynthesis,
while the sodium in banana peels helps water flow between cells. They even have traces of
magnesium and sulfur, elements that help make chlorophyll. You can simply bury banana peels
near your plants where they will release their nutrients as they break down. You can also brew
banana peel tea by putting banana peels in a jar and covering with water. Let this steep for a
week or two and you will have a nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer. Unlike powdered or solid
fertilizers, this liquid fertilizer goes directly to the roots and helps the plants immediately. Toss
the used peels into a compost heap or bury them in the garden. (PaulBarbano, 2020)

PaulBarbano (2020). Banana peels are good for gardens. Retrieved September 14 2021 from
https://www.capegazette.com/article/banana-peels-are-good-gardens/202889

Chilli Labuyo*

Most peppers are red, though some cultivars are yellow, purple or black.   One of the most common
uses of the pepper itself is mixed with vinegar and other spices, such as ginger, onion and garlic, to make
a spicy condiment. It can also be used to add a fiery spiciness to all kinds of sauces, vegetables and fish
dishes. The leaves of the pepper can also be used in various typical recipes, such as seafood soups and
chicken tinola. Siling labuyo has been considered a medicinal herbal plant used to treat arthritis,
rheumatism, dyspepsia, flatulence and toothache.   The plant is easy to cultivate and grows throughout
the Philippines. It can even be cultivated in containers placed in sunny areas. Bicol and Mindanao
(belonging to the Luzon Islands in the central Philippines) are two areas known for their spicy cuisine, in
part due to the use of siling labuyo. The peppers can be purchased locally or cultivated at home, where
it is common to have a container of the plant, though this practice is declining some. True siling labuyo
peppers are also under threat due to commercially imported peppers from neighboring countries,
frequently larger and not as spicy, that are falsely sold as siling labuyo. (Slow Food Foundation, 2021)

https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/siling-labuyo-2/